


The Last Day at Work

by jappfrost



Category: HIStory2-是非 | HIStory2: Right or Wrong, HIStory2-越界 | HIStory2: Boundary Crossing (Web Series), HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped, HIStory3 - 奇蹟 | HIStory3: Miracle, HIStory3: 那一天 | HIStory3: Make Our Days Count
Genre: Angst, Because fuck canon, Boys In Love, Boys' Love, Fluff, History, Hurt!YuXiGu, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Taiwanese BL
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-01-26 04:06:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21367900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jappfrost/pseuds/jappfrost
Summary: Xiang Hao Ting has been nagging Yu Xi Gu for quite a while now for him to stop doing part time work at the Bar. But due to financial needs, Yu Xi Gu just couldn't drop this job.Will the unfortunate series events of one night change it all?
Relationships: Fei Shengzhe/Shi Yijie, Jack | Fang Liang Dian/Zhao Li An | Zhao Zi, Meng Shao Fei/Tang Yi, Qiu Zixuan/Xia Yuhao, Xiang Hao Ting/Yu Xi Gu
Comments: 46
Kudos: 228





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HIStory Series, and its characters are not mine.
> 
> PS. I don't have much energy to write anything lengthy anymore. I was only able to come up with this out of my strong love and appreciation for the HIStory Series.
> 
> Thank you so much, Taiwan, for giving us quality shows that explore the nuances of boys falling in love with boys.

“Do you really have to do part-time work here of all places?” Xiang Hao Ting lamented as he and Yu Xi Gu arrived at the entrance of the Bar. “Doesn’t Uncle Lu Zi Gang pay you enough at that store of his?”

Yu Xi Gu rolled his eyes at him fondly. “It was enough until I lost that scholarship I was working hard for. And whose fault was that?”

Hao Ting had the gall to look like a kicked puppy, and Xi Gu had to will himself to keep a straight face.

“I’m truly sorry about that.” Hao Ting’s voice was too earnest and sincere that it was threatening to melt whatever defense Xi Gu was trying to put up around him. “I acted like a child, and I didn’t consider the consequences of what I did.”

“Not even a child would have thought of doing that.” Xi Gu pouted, and Hao Ting’s brain was just about to short circuit at the level of cuteness.

“Acted like a monkey, then.” Hao Ting amended.

“They’re way smarter.”

“A puppy.” Hao Ting tried again, and Xi Gu returned him with an unamused glare.

Ah. That glare. Hao Ting knew all too well how he’d be able to turn that into a smile.

“Grr!” He growled, much to Xi Gu’s surprise.

“S-stop that.” Xi Gu exclaimed, blushing just a tiny shade of red. Why did he have to find Xiang Hao Ting’s dog impersonation so adorable? “What do you want?”

“I want you to stop going here.” Hao Ting said, reverting to his serious self.

Xi Gu had to sigh in frustration. “I told you…”

“There are too many men in here.” Hao Ting interrupted him. “And then you’ll be attending to them with a uniform on, looking like a delicious snack for them to eat! It’s driving me nuts!”

Xi Gu simply stared at him at that, his jaw dropped all the way to the ground. He thought he already knew everything there was to know about Xiang Hao Ting, but apparently the other guy still had a lot of surprises up his sleeve.

“What?” Hao Ting prompted unhappily. “Say something!”

Xi Gu shook his head, as if trying to get his wits back together. And then he smiled smugly. “Why, Xiang Hao Ting, are you jealous?”

It took Xiang Hao Ting a bit before the implication of his own words sank in. “I… You… Jealous… What!” He spluttered, panicking. He tried to compose himself, brushing the side of his hair. “Who’s being jealous? I was just being concerned.”

Yu Xi Gu smiled fondly at him. He loved it when he was able to make Hao Ting all shy like this. He stepped forward, leant upward, and kissed Hao Ting softly on the mouth.

“Thank you.” He whispered. “I promise I won’t work here for too long. Only until I earn enough to pay for next semester’s tuition.”

“Okay.” Hao Ting reluctantly relented. “Just take care of yourself, alright?”

Yu Xi Gu’s answering nod and smile were enough to appease Hao Ting’s burning worry, and yes, jealousy.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Hao Ting prompted.

“At the school library, 9AM.” Xi Gu supplied.

“Yes!” Hao Ting replied swiftly, throwing Xi Gu a winning grin before leaning down again for a smooch. “See you! I love you!”

“Love you, bye!” Xi Gu murmured before quickly running inside the bar, lest he risk that Hao Ting would see him like a blushing maiden.

He was so intent on getting away from Hao Ting that he didn’t notice a couple of men standing by the entrance, and bumped straight into the one wearing a sharp, and expensive looking suit.

All would have been fine except that the well-dressed man also happened to be holding a glass of wine which promptly spilled all over the aforementioned tailored suit. 

“I’m sorry!” Xi Gu apologized, bowing down in contrition. “I should have been more careful. I promise I will pay for the ruined suit, sir!”

He was already mentally computing for how much he had to pay for such a luxurious outfit and how he would have to break it to Hao Ting that he might need to be working more than just a few more times in the bar.

“Don’t worry about it!” The other man, less well-dressed, but just as handsome, was the first to reply to him. “He owns a shop full of tailored clothes like this one. It doesn’t matter if he loses just this one. Right, Tang Yi?”

“You are too kind, sir.” Xi Gu returned, still bowed down by the waist. “But I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing I’ve caused damage and not being able to amend for it.”

“He is right. It’s really, fine. There’s no need to pay.” The guy in the tailored suit, or Tang Yi, as his companion called him, placed his hand on Xi Gu’s shoulder, prompting the young man to lift his head back up.

But as Xi Gu was straightening up, he eyes caught on to something tucked by Tang Yi’s waist, and whatever word of thanks he was about to say got stuck in his throat.

It was a gun.

Before he could even gather his wits, he realized that the pair have already moved past him, walking toward the exit of the bar.

“You brought an extra in the car, right?” He heard the less well-dressed man ask Tang Yi. “Let’s take you there and get you changed.”

“Yes, but Shao Fei, the dealer messing with my gang could be here any minute now.” Tang Yi said seriously.

“I know, and that’s why you have to get out now.” The other man, Shao Fei, pushed Tang Yi out. “Thanks for drawing him out like this, Tang Yi, but you don’t need be involved any further. The police will be taking over now.”

“What, but it’s danger –” The rest of Tang Yi’s words were cut out as the other man sealed his lips with his own, eliciting a gasp from Xi Gu who was witnessing the entire scene play out before him.

Shao Fei turned to him and, perhaps realizing that they were making out in public, broke the kiss with Tang Yi. He whispered something close to Tang Yi’s ear, before leading the other man out. Xi Gu wondered if they were going to continue what they started somewhere less crowded.

A tap on his shoulder broke him out of his reverie once more.

“Yu Xi Gu, there you are!” It was Yu Hao, one of his co-workers at the bar. Just like him, Yu Hao was also a high schooler doing part-time so that he could pay for his school fees and lessen the burden of his family. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“Er… there was a man with a gun.” Xi Gu replied, pointing his finger toward the entrance of the bar. “He went out, but he also mentioned something about a drug dealer being here any minute now.”

“Oh.” Yu Hao simply replied, scratching at his head with his free hand, while holding what was undoubtedly trash with his other hand. “I see you’ve met Officer Meng and his boyfriend.”

“The police?” Xi Gu was really having a hard time understanding what’s going on. “Are we in trouble?” This wouldn’t do. If word got out that he was working in a bar which hosted illegal drug dealers, then his reputation would be finished, and any hopes of getting into a good university would go down the drain.

“Hasn’t the manager told you?” Yu Hao asked him, perplexed. At Xi Gu’s shake of the head, he continues. “Apparently, the dealer’s a regular here in the bar. The manager didn’t know anything about it, so of course, he had to willingly agree with the police to capture the dealer here. Otherwise, he’d really be questioned for harboring a criminal.”

“This is crazy.” Xi Gu couldn’t help messing with his hair. This was not what he was expecting at all. “And this entrapment operation will be happening tonight?”

Yu Hao nodded.

“And we’re just supposed to act like nothing of the sort is happening?” Xi Gu continued. “This is absolutely crazy, and not to mention, dangerous! It’s a good thing Hao Ting has already left. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let me work at all tonight.”

“You tell me.” Yu Hao responded with a pout. He pointed to a quiet table near back of the bar where his boyfriend was sitting stiffly and tensed. A glass of alcohol was on the table but it remained untouched. “Zi Xuan got here as soon as he found out, and he has been nagging me since to just quit working here altogether.”

And as if he could hear that he was being talked about, Qiu Zi Xuan craned his head to their direction, and gave Yu Hao a sour look.

“I told him I can’t leave. I have to earn so I could be with him at the university.” Yu Hao continued. “It’s understandable why he’s upset.”

“It seems to me that you’ll have a hard time appeasing him, judging by his expression.” Xi Gu stated, for which Yu Hao only gave him a confident smirk. “Hey, why don’t you go talk to him and let me handle the trash. I’ll take it out for you.”

He grabbed the bag from Yu Hao and pushed him toward Zi Xuan who was now looking at them with an eyebrow raised.

“If it’s alright with you, I guess.” Yu Hao really did want to have a chat with Zi Xuan anyway.

“Yes. Yes. It’s fine. Just go.” Xi Gu shooed him before turning the other direction himself to take out the trash. Before he got out through the side door, he managed to catch a glimpse of his friend sharing a passionate kiss with his boyfriend.

Well that was quick. Zi Xuan, apparently, wasn’t that hard to persuade, not unlike his Xiang Hao Ting.

He smiled fondly at his thoughts, and without realizing it, he was already outside.

There was someone there, which wasn’t really anything new. Couples oftentimes went here so that they could have some modicum of privacy when making out. That was why Yu Xi Gu didn’t really think anything was wrong with it until he caught what one of the men was saying loudly over the phone.

“What do you mean that the police are here?!” Now that Xi Gu was looking at them closely, he realized that this was no ordinary group of men. This was a gang – most likely the dealer that the policeman and his boyfriend were talking about earlier. “That’s impossible! Tang Yi wouldn’t dare.”

Hearing the name pretty much confirmed Xi Gu’s suspicions. This was bad. He shouldn’t be here. He had to get away. He tiptoed ever so carefully backwards, trying his best not to make a single sound.

He was making good progress until his back was met with something quite solid.

He turned around, and to his horror, he saw another man wearing just about the same type of clothing as those he saw outside.

“What are you doing here?” The mysterious man demanded.

“What are you doing here? This is a Staff Only zone.” Xi Gu retorted, and he had to bite back his tongue because he knew he shouldn’t have been that hostile. He didn’t want to anger a mobster. “Err… I was just taking out the trash.”

“Ha. Nice try.” The man pushed his diminutive frame back out, and Xi Gu had to struggle to keep himself from dropping to the ground from the force of the other man. He managed to stay upright, thankfully, but their commotion has caused the rest of the gang to notice his presence. “Your boss must have said something to the police. They know we’re here.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He shouted. He was scared, definitely scared. The rest of the gang have started to gather around them, and he didn’t know how else he was going to get himself out of this mess. “I have nothing to do with whatever business it is you’re doing.”

“Oh, so you know we’re into _business_.” The one who was on the phone earlier spat out.

Xi Gu quickly realized his mistake, but it was too late to take it back. Now, they were suspecting him even more.

“Or was it _you_ who squealed us out to the police?” The man added.

“If I knew who you were, then I wouldn’t have been to stupid to face you like this all by myself.” Xi Gu couldn’t help responding.

“Ha!” The other man laughed boisterously. “I like your energy, kid. But I wouldn’t let you get away with this.”

“Are you sure that you’d like to stay around to mess with me?” Xi Gu asked. “The police are just around the corner. They’re going to catch you, you know.”

“The police have been on our tails for a long while now. And they’ve honestly been a pain. It’s time they realize that being a nuisance to our gang has some dire consequences.” The man, whom Xi Gu assumed to be their leader, sneered at him with the threat, and took a step closer to him.

“What are you going to do?” Xi Gu asked. He took a step back of his own, although it was useless because he was surrounded anyway.

“You’ll be the lesson to that Officer Meng.” The man was grabbed Xi Gu by his tie. “Say goodbye to this pretty face of yours.”

Yu Xi Gu could only close his eyes as he witnessed that the man has lifted his arm and was now about to punch him.

But it never came.

A guttural cry from a little farther away attracted the attention of his tormentor so the fist that was supposed to land on his cheek was left suspended midair.

He was about to sigh in relief, knowing that there were other people coming in to rescue him, but then he realized whose voice it was that he heard.

“Don’t you dare touch him!” Xiang Hao Ting cried angrily. That stupid boy! What was he still doing here? And what was he thinking charging his way to a mob all by himself?!

The gangsters naturally turned their attention to him and all hell broke loose. The leader who was holding Xi Gu captive though, was shouting at the top of his lungs.

“You idiots! Don’t make too much noise!” The man was screaming. “The police are just over there and they’re definitely going to catch us if you keep this up!”

And Yu Xi Gu couldn’t help giggling at the irony.

“What are you laughing about? You think this is funny?” The mobster asked.

“No. I mean yeah.” Xi Gu said. The grip on his tie was slackened every so slightly. “You wanted them to keep it down but you’re making just about the same amount of noise.”

“Why you little –” He didn’t get to finish what he had to say for at the very moment, the voice of Officer Meng Shao Fei rang loud and clear over the alley.

“They’re over here!” Shao Fei called over his team. “Execute the entrapment plan! Hurry!”

The gang finally realized that they were now in hot water, and immediately broke for a run, letting go of both Xi Gu and Hao Ting. Unfortunately for them, they were in an alley where their only way out was to go through the police.

“Don’t let them get away!” Xi Gu heard the Officer direct. “Oh shoot! There’s an injured civilian! Zhao Zi! Quick, help him up!”

It was all a blur from there. He realized that the injured civilian they were referring to was his Xiang Hao Ting, and everything in the world suddenly became unimportant.

He rushed to his boyfriend’s side and got there just at the same time as Zhao Zi did.

“A-Hao!” He tried to shake the man, but to his horror, Hao Ting was out cold. He checked behind Hao Ting’s head for any bleeding, but besides the one coming from a split lip, there seemed to be no major injuries. “Wake up, you idiot. Don’t scare me like this.”

“He’s concussed.” Office Zhao Zi informed him from behind. “He’s just unconscious but he should be fine in just a little while.”

“Are you sure?” Xi Gu turned to him, tears already falling down from his eyes.

“We could take him to the hospital, just to be sure.” Zhao Zi smiled at him reassuringly. “But knowing that there’s someone like you who cares for him a lot, he should be able to recover quickly.”

“I can’t lose him.” Xi Gu was openly sobbing now.

“You won’t.” Zhao Zi promised.

“He’s much too important for me.”

“I didn’t realize you cared that much for me…” A third voice interrupted their conversation. It was Hao Ting who, Xi Gu hadn’t realized, was now conscious on his lap.

“Xiang Hao Ting!” He screamed in relief. He bent over, and gave the other man a passionate kiss on the lips. Hao Ting was surprised at first, and his head was definitely still aching at that point, but he wouldn’t dare miss this chance of having Xi Gu kiss him like this.

But alas, it wasn’t meant to last forever, not even just a minute, either.

“Yu Xi Gu! Are you all right?” It was Yu Hao who was rushing over to them, his boyfriend in tow. “We heard the commotion and knew that the police were already doing their work, but when I realized that it was happening here at the alley, I got so worried because I knew you were here since you volunteered to take out the trash! I shouldn’t have passed in on to you. It should have been me who was out here dealing with those assholes.”

“Now, Yu Hao.” Zi Xuan placed a calming hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. There was no way you could have known that the gangsters would be here in the alley.”

“Still…” Yu Hao pouted.

“It’s really fine.” Xi Gu decided to say. “As Brother Zi Xuan said, who would have predicted that they would be hanging out here at the back. Besides, we’re fine now. We’re all safe and the gang seems to have been caught already.”

“Yup. All rounded up!” Zhao Zi interjected.

“See?” Zi Xuan told Yu Hao, who was still pouting dejectedly out of guilt. “All is well now. Okay?”

“Okay…” Yu Hao reluctantly agreed.

“But I guess this incident should be enough reason for me to persuade you to stop working here already, am I right?” Zi Xuan reasoned.

Yu Hao looked at him critically at that remark. But then, after a while, he relented. “Fine. Tonight, it will be the last. But where would I get the money for school?”

“We’ll find a way.” Zi Xuan smiled at him reassuringly.

Xi Gu couldn’t help smiling at them as well. They really were a nice couple, and Yu Hao is just as wrapped around Zi Xuan’s finger as it is the other way around.

A tap on his shoulder caused Xi Gu to look down to the man on his lap.

“That goes for you, too.” Hao Ting told him. “This should be your last day here.”

Xi Gu gave him a long-suffering sigh. “Okay.”

Hao Ting pulled himself up so he could give Yu Xi Gu yet another happy kiss.

They only broke apart after what seemed like an eternity has passed.

"Hm..." Xi Gu began. "Xiang Hao Ting..."

"Yes?" The other man was giving him a completely besotted smile.

"What are you still doing here at the bar?" Xi Gu asked. "Didn't we agree to just meet tomorrow morning?"

Hao Ting let out a nervous laugh but didn't provide an answer.

"Were you keeping an eye on me?" Xi Gu raised an eyebrow at him.

"I... er..." Hao Ting struggled to find the right words. "I was just passing by?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhao Zi was witness to the last few exchanges in the previous chapter, and with his heart of gold, he couldn't help working on an intervention for the poor high school teenagers. So the next day, he told Shao Fei about the predicament of Xi Gu and Yu Hao, asking him if he or Tang Yi had some jobs they could offer.
> 
> As it turns out, Shao Fei also has a heart of gold (after all, they wouldn't be best friends if that weren't the case), so he went to Tang Yi to see if his fiance could find part time work for the two hardworking young men.
> 
> Problem is, does Tang Yi also have a heart of gold?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything I post on here is unbeta'ed. So apologies for any grammar mistakes, real world inaccuracies, etc. But please feel free to let me know in case you spot any! I'd be more than happy to correct any shameful mistakes on my part! LOL.
> 
> Also, the HIStory series, is unfortunately not mine. This means that I cannot, do not, and will not claim any rights on any of the characters that are in this story.
> 
> Lastly, I'd like to thank reader yhang for inspiring me to write this chapter. I would never have pursued extending this story if not for your comment. So, thank you! I hope this was as fun as you imagined it to be.
> 
> Enjoy!

“No.” Tang Yi knew it was a losing battle against Shao Fei and that he’d eventually give in to his request, but he’d be damned if he didn’t try to make a fuss so that he’d get the opportunity to see his fiancé beg and act all cutesy on him. “What do these… high school kids even know about tailored suits?”

“Oh, come on Tang Yi.” Shao Fei threw him a betrayed look, making his way to sit across Tang Yi who was pretending to be busy with the paperwork on his office desk. “It’s not like they’re going to be making the suits themselves. They’re just going to sell them. What possible reason could you have for not giving them a part-time job?”

There was absolutely no reason. None at all. Except that Tang Yi really just wanted to extend this amusing argument for the heck of it. “We don’t do part-timers in our store, A-Fei.” Tang Yi reasoned, acting out a long-suffering sigh, and dropping his pen. He abandoned all pretense of working. It was useless at this point, anyway.

Shao Fei pouted, and Tang Yi scored that as a win.

“Well, they can be the first.” The police officer argued, reaching out to the hand Tang Yi was resting on the table, and pressing on it pleadingly. Tang Yi struggled to keep his poker face but his heart was actually doing a somersault. “Come on, Tang Yi! Zhao Zi said those boys seemed like the good kind, and you know that Zhao Zi is a good judge of character. Not to mention that keeping them exposed to that kind of environment is dangerous to them. You know that the bar’s becoming a popular hide-out spot for those drug dealers.”

“And you think linking them to me – to us, will make it less dangerous for them?” Tang Yi inquired.

Shao Fei, at this point, was looking at him as if he has grown two heads. “Of course! We’ll be able to protect them more easily this way.”

“Gee… when you told me you wanted us to have kids, I didn’t think you were actually thinking of adopting two teenagers.” Tang Yi was on a roll.

Shao Fei has now abandoned his hand in favor of standing up and moving right behind Tang Yi. And just as Tang Yi had planned it to happen, a pair of hands have found themselves on his temple, applying just the right amount of pressure for it to feel pleasant. Really, his Shao Fei was too predictable.

He closed his eyes and allowed the sensation to envelope his entire being. He couldn’t help letting out a moan in arousal. Oh, arguing with Shao Fei on such a trivial matter was so worth it.

“Come on, Tang Yi!” Shao Fei pleaded. “Perhaps you need a massage so that you can clear your head and see this situation differently.”

“Hmm… this is nice.” Tang Yi knew that at this point, Shao Fei would be ready to do just about anything. “But I know something nicer that you can do for me to make me reconsider.” Tang Yi said suggestively, going for the kill.

The hands stopped immediately at that, a few quiet footsteps, and then silence.

“Meng Shao Fei?” Tang Yi opened his eyes and looked up and behind from where he was sitting to see Shao Fei sulking by the window.

When he received no response from the other man, Tang Yi sighed knowing that he may have gone a bit overboard this time. He stood up from his office chair and made the quick walk to where Shao Fei stood with his back turned to Tang Yi. “What’s wrong, A-Fei?”

“You’re not taking this seriously, are you?” Shao Fei began. That’s good. At least he was willing to talk. He never was the type to keep silent anyway.

“I’m sorry.” Tang Yi quickly apologized.

“Don’t you know why I was so keen on asking you about these kids?” Shao Fei now turned to him again. There were no tears in his eyes, but Tang Yi could clearly see the sadness behind them. “It’s because I see a little bit of you in them.”

Tang Yi tilted his head to the side, curiosity piqued. “Hm?”

“One grew up without parents, and the other without a father.” Shao Fei explained, and like a cold bucket of water was thrown on top of his head, Tang Yi was awash with sympathy for the two young boys he has only barely met. “You of all people, should know how difficult it was to be without a parent so early on in life.”

Tang Yi knew that no words could explain how much he agreed to Shao Fei’s words, so instead of saying anything else, he simply gave his fiancé a hug, hoping that this was enough to convey that yes, he understood, and yes, those kids will be getting the part-time job that they needed.

Tomorrow, he will meet them and tell them about the intricacies of this job. Selling tailored suits was no easy job after all.

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

“We’re hired?” Yu Xi Gu couldn’t hide his disbelief. There we no interviews, no background checks, and no skill tests, whatsoever. He even prepared his three-page resume for this, but even that seemed to be of no use now. Not that he was complaining. It was just that based on experience, landing a high-paying part-time job was incredibly difficult. But here he was with Xia Yu Hao, and they have both just been employed in a suit shop.

Tang Yi nodded. “Yes. In fact, I want the both of you to start, right now.”

“How much do we get, again?” Yu Hao inquired. He couldn’t have heard it right the first the time.

Tang Yi smirked smugly at them. “It’s NT$1,000 an hour.”

“T-this is too good to be true, Mr. Tang.” Yu Xi Gu would love to earn that much but this couldn’t be right.

“Yeah, what’s the catch?” Yu Hao seconded. “Anything that we need to do that you have missed to mention? Besides selling clothes?”

Tang Yi’s smile remained unwavering, although he should have known that morally upright kids like Xi Gu and Yu Hao wouldn’t readily accept an offer as good as this. For sure, plenty of others have presented them with this kind of a job, but with hidden and unstipulated requirements that were definitely of the shady kind. “No shady business here. Remember, I’m getting married to a police officer. I wouldn’t want to cross him by doing dirty business.”

He looked at said police officer who was standing by the suit shop door behind the two boys. He was nodding approvingly at him.

“Still… this all seems a little bit too much.” Xi Gu was still hesitant.

“Think of it as an apology.” Shao Fei chimed in. “For involving the two of you in our entrapment operations at the bar the other week.” They couldn’t very well say that they were also doing this because of Tang Yi feeling a certain level of connection with them due to the orphan issue. They could tell that the teenagers wouldn’t want to be pitied.

“And if that still leaves you unconvinced,” Tang Yi added. “Then you’ll just have to work harder so that you’ll feel that you deserve to get that amount.”

“O-okay.” Yu Xi Gu agreed reluctantly.

“How will the arrangements for our shifts be?” Yu Hao asked.

“You both have school, and on the third year of high school at that.” Tang Yi began. “I wouldn’t want your work to take too much of your time. Eight hours during the weekend should be enough. Is that fine with you?”

“I’ll have to rearrange my shift with my other part time work with Brother Zi Gang, but this should be fine.” Xi Gu responded, while Yu Hao simply nodded his agreement to the schedule.

“Great. Now that that’s sorted, I’d like the both of you to sign these.” Tang Yi handed out their respective contracts, which both promptly read and signed. “Now today’s a Saturday, so I expect that you two should start manning the store right after we have this quick welcome breakfast.

“Thank you, Mr. Tang!” The two boys said in unison.

“Don’t thank me.” Tang Yi waved them off and pointed at his fiancé instead. “You should be thanking Officer Meng over there for putting in a good word for both of you.”

“Thank you, Officer Meng!”

Shao Fei responded to them with a megawatt smile.

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

Yu Xi Gu was behind the cashier when he got the call.

“Hello, A-Hao.” Xi Gu greeted brightly.

_“You seem awfully cheerful.”_ Hao Ting noted. _“I assume that meant you got the job? I knew that my Xi Gu could do it. I’m proud of you!”_

“Well, they practically gave me and Yu Hao the job.” Xi Gu responded, blushing a little bit at Hao Ting’s praise. “Mr. Tang didn’t even interview us.”

_“Oh… that’s nice of him?”_ Even Hao Ting wasn’t sure what to think of it. _“Well, at least you’re no longer affiliated with that god-awful bar. Where are you now?”_

“I’m working.” Xi Gu replied.

_“What?! Already?! But I was hoping I could take you out to lunch for us to celebrate your new employment.”_ Xi Gu could hear the disappointment in his voice.

“Silly, Hao Ting.” He laughed. “I may be working now, but I do have a lunch break scheduled about forty minutes from now. We can still celebrate.”

_“Really? That’s great!”_ Xi Gu was so amused at how quickly his boyfriend could shift from one mood to another. _“I’ll pick you up later, then. Xia En and Xia De told me about this restaurant called Elfin. I’d like to try it out with you.”_

“We really shouldn’t be spending too much money, Hao Ting.” Xi Gu scolded him lightly. “Let’s just eat somewhere nice but cheap. It’s not like it’s a big occasion anyway.”

_“Nope. Definitely not.”_ Hao Ting responded. _“My Yu Xi Gu deserves only the best.”_

“Hao Ting –” Xi Gu was about to tell him off again, but the other just talked over him.

_“It’s settled. I’ll take you to Elfin.”_ Hao Ting insisted. _“You should get back to work now, otherwise your boss might take it against you that you’re slacking off!”_

“Hao Ting!”

A boisterous laugh.

_“I love you.”_ Hao Ting spoke softly.

“I love you, too.” Yu Xi Gu replied, just as tender, before hanging up the phone.

“You and your boyfriend are going to make me sick.” Xi Gu almost had a heart attack because he hadn’t realized that Yu Hao was already right beside him. “So sweet. I think I’m going to have diabetes.”

“Aren’t you the same with your boyfriend?” Xi Gu responded defensively. “Speaking of which, have you told him yet?”

“Yeah, I did.” Yu Hao confirmed, but his expression turned melancholy. “I texted him, but he’s attending his Saturday class in the university at the moment, so he probably hasn’t read it yet.”

“You miss him, don’t you?” Xi Gu commiserated, and Yu Hao simply nodded in return. “Don’t worry, it’s only a matter of months now before you get to join him in the university.”

Yu Hao turned to him with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Xi Gu. But to be honest, I’m really nervous.”

“Why is that?” Xi Gu tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

“Academically speaking, my grades are not good enough. I’m not as smart as you or Zi Xuan.” Yu Hao explained sulkily. “So, the only way for me to get in is through the sports scholarship.”

“And you’re good with volleyball.” Xi Gu supplied. “The university would be crazy if they wouldn’t admit you.”

“I’m still not sure if I have what it takes.” Yu Hao shook his head. “My skills might still be too raw for university level.”

Yu Xi Gu sighed at that. Where was all this insecurity of his friend coming from? “Didn’t you say that it was Brother Zi Xuan who saw your potential for volleyball and asked you to be a part of the team?”

“Mhm.” Yu Hao agreed. “Well… him and Captain He Chen En…”

“Then if he, a former ace player, has faith in your skills, what is there to doubt?” Xi Gu reasoned and he hoped that this was enough to inspire his friend. “He believes in you so you should believe in yourself too.”

Yu Hao beamed at him. “You have a point there, Xi Gu. I didn’t think that you’d be able to raise my spirits up like that, but you did. So, thank you!”

“You were just being silly.” Xi Gu rolled his eyes at him before the two of them ended up laughing together.

At that exact moment, the bell hanging by the door rang, indicating that there came their first customer of the day.

“Daddy, hurry up! We haven’t got all day!” It was a little girl, around ten years old, by Yu Hao’s estimate. She was holding up the door, presumably waiting for her father to come in. “We don’t want to keep Papa waiting at the cake shop!”

“Aw, Yo-yo. You walk too fast.” Her father has now caught up and was inside the store. Yu Hao took this as his cue to engage his very first customer.

“Hello, welcome to our shop!” Yu Hao greeted with much bravado, keeping in mind that he had to put in work that would make him deserving of that thousand dollars an hour rate. “How may I help you?”

“Oh, hello. You’re new here!” The little girl piped up.

Yu Hao smiled and knelt down beside her. “Yes. In fact, it is my first day, today.” 

“Okay. My name is Yo-yo, and this is my daddy.” She pointed excitedly at her father, who was actually still trying to catch his breath. Perhaps Yu Hao should have let him recover first before actually engaging them in conversation. “He is going to get married to papa next weekend!”

“Is that so?” If possible, Yu Hao’s smile grew even wider at that. So, this man and his partner would be one of the first couples to ever get married in Taiwan. He stood up and extended his hand to the man. “Then I guess congratulations are in order.”

The other man took his hand and shook it vigorously. “Thank you.” He said simply, in between gulps of breath. Then, turning to his daughter, he jokingly said, “Yo-yo, your father isn’t getting any younger, and I have never been fit to begin with, remember? You can’t go running around too fast anymore. I wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

“But I’m only rushing because Papa Fei is waiting for us.” Yo-yo crossed her arms and pouted cutely at her father. “Let’s just claim the suits and get out of here already.”

“Alright, alright.” Her father sighed, then turning to Yu Hao, “Would you be able to check if the suits we’ve asked for have already been finished?”

“Certainly. May I know under whose name the order was made?” Yu Hao expertly responded.

“That would be with me, Shi Yi Jie.” The man replied.

“Alright.” Yu Hao nodded. “Allow me to check at the back. Please wait a minute.”

“Thank you.”

Moments later, Yu Hao came back with the requested items.

“Here you go,” He said while handing them over to Yi Jie. “Two tailored suits, one black and one white for Mr. Shi Yi Jie.”

“Great!” The older man exclaimed happily. “Thank you! I’ll pay at the counter.”

“Y-you’re not going to try it on?” Yu Hao asked.

“No need. I trust the handiwork of Mr. Tang’s tailor shop.” Shi Yi Jie replied. “Besides, my fiancé isn’t here to try his suit on, either. This will do, thank you!”

The man and his daughter proceeded to pay for the suits at the counter with Yu Xi Gu, before Yu Hao opened the door for them when they were on their way out.

All things considered, this wasn’t such a bad job after all.

Nope, definitely not.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tang Yi decided to treat his hardworking employees to dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't be ending this with just 2 chapters, am I right? I'm so in love with the HIStory series that I would most definitely be writing more of it in this verse!
> 
> Anyway, in this chapter, we get to see Tang Yi become a dad to our poor high school and university kids. Just how exactly? Read it to find out! ;)

As it turns out, working in the tailored suit shop was apparently the perfect part-time job that either Xia Yu Hao or Yu Xi Gu could ever hope for. The pay was high and the shifts were reasonable. But most importantly, there wasn’t a lot of customers who enter the shop, leaving the two of them with lots of opportunity to catch up on school work, especially now that their college entrance exams are coming up.

But on occasion, the store would be packed with customers and the two young teenagers would restlessly entertain them, taking notes of their specifications with the clothes – the lengths, the designs, and the texture as well as their other demands which range from the completely normal to the absolutely absurd.

It was on such a day that Tang Yi happened to check up on them at the store. He had such a tiring day at work, managing yet another wayward brother of Xin Tian Meng who has decided to go ahead and open a drug channel to Taiwan via one of the shipping lines that the brotherhood owned. All he truly wanted was to go home and lie in bed with Shao Fei, but alas, such a night was not meant to be, as his lover would be out the entire night working on a case about gods know what.

He didn’t want to be alone in that huge empty house just yet, so he decided to make a detour at the store to check up on his two practically adopted young adults.

They really were the good sort – Shao Fei and Zhao Zi hadn’t been wrong. They were hardworking both with their part-time job and with their studies, and he can’t help the fluffy feeling in his heart that was telling him that he had a part in helping Xi Gu and Yu Hao become who they were now.

He was observing them from the door of the store where his Shao Fei used to stand when he was stalking him back in the days when they were still at each other’s throats. Xi Gu was ringing up the purchase of one customer at the counter whereas Yu Hao was rearranging the suits that have undoubtedly been displaced by shoppers who tried them on earlier in the day.

They looked so busy and tired for having worked nearly eight hours in the day that Tang Yi felt that he ought to take them out for dinner today. It would perfectly serve him well too, since this would delay his inevitable going home alone. He smirked at the brilliance of his plan, and then proceeded to enter the store.

“Good evening, how are you?” It was Yu Hao who gave him the rehearsed greeting. “Oh, Sir Tang. I didn’t expect you today. Anything we can help you with?”

Tang Yi shook his head as a response. “I’m good, thank you. Just… you and Xi Gu go to me at the back office once you’ve closed the shop for the day.”

“Okay, sir.” Yu Hao gave him a salute, his chin raised and his chest puffed out, body straight as a rod.

He mentally laughed at the image. Kids.

When he was out of the main store and was already at the back office, Xi Gu came up to Yu Hao just as their last customer left the store.

“Was that Sir Tang?” Xi Gu asked, looking in the general direction of where Tang Yi went.

“Yeah. He asked us to meet him after closing.” Yu Hao responded, scratching the back of his head as he wondered what could be up.

“Hm… what could it be about?” Xi Gu wondered out loud, moving now toward the shop entrance to flip the “Welcome” Sign to “Closed.”

“Who knows…” Yu Hao could only shrug. Did Sir Tang think that they were being overpaid? Would their salaries be cut? Would they be fired for incompetence? He wouldn’t admit it to his friend, but he was most certainly scared.

He just couldn’t deal with worrying over finding yet another job on top of cramming up with lessons for the upcoming exams. Although, knowing his companion, he was sure Yu Xi Gu was also panicking over exams and jobs in his head.

“Let’s go?” Xi Gu asked him, and he followed the other guy as they headed to the back office where Tang Yi was waiting for them. Yu Xi Gu knocked on the door, and at Tang Yi’s permission, they entered the room at the same time.

“Y-you wanted to talk to us, Sir Tang?” Yu Hao cursed himself for letting his nervousness show up.

Tang Yi turned to his direction, looking up from some files he was perusing on his desk. “You don’t have to be nervous when you’re speaking with me, Xia Yu Hao.” He smiled in what he hoped was a non-threatening manner. Did he really look that intimidating?

_“You should smile more. The more times you do it, the more it would look natural on you.”_ Shao Fei’s voice rang clearly in his head.

“Sorry, Sir Tang.” Yu Hao replied. “It’s just… are you going to sack us now?”

“What? No!” Tang Yi’s response was immediate and loud, that the two guys in front of him flinched in terror. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. He wasn’t usually like this. Whatever happened to his ability to hide his emotions? Damn it. This was probably Shao Fei’s impulsiveness rubbing itself on him already. “Why would you think that?”

“We’re young and inexperienced, and we only work part time.” Yu Xi Gu listed down his reasons, affirming Yu Hao’s hypothesis that Yu Xi Gu was thinking along the same lines as he was. “And yet, we are overly paid. We thought that maybe you’ve changed your mind and you want us out of your hair soon.”

Tang Yi shook his head. “I was perfectly aware of these conditions when I promised you this job. And trust me, neither of you has given me reason to regret this decision to hire you.”

“Oh…” The two boys looked all of a sudden guilty.

“Sorry for thinking badly of you, Mr. Tang.” Xi Gu offered after a beat. “Things just seem to be too good to be true that we’re expecting the bubble to burst any minute now.”

These. These are the words that pulled at Tang Yi’s heartstrings. These are the very same words that he used when he was just freshly taken under the wing of Tang Guo Dong. Just like him, these two young men have been so used to the cruelties of life that they couldn’t believe it when a good thing came their way.

“You can trust me, Yu Xi Gu.” Tang Yi promised, trying to convey as much conviction as he can with his voice. “The same goes for you, Xia Yu Hao.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tang.” Xi Gu and Yu Hao said in unison. “We don’t know what we did to deserve your kindness.”

“I appreciate those who see the value of hard perseverance.” Tang Yi explained. “You both clearly have that. And for that, I want to help and see you succeed.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tang!” The two said it at the same time once more.

“It’s all my pleasure.” Tang Yi replied, glad to have finally gone through the mental barriers of the teenagers. “Now, about my actual reason for calling you here… I’d like to take you both out to dinner tonight as a reward for all your hard work.”

He expected for them to be excited about this but was surprised to see both of their expressions turn all sullen.

“What?” Tang Yi inquired. Did they think dinner was too much of a reward again? “Don’t worry. We won’t be going anywhere extravagant. I just know this Japanese restaurant down the street from here. My Shao Fei and I loved to get dinner there all the time.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to go, Mr. Tang…” Xi Gu began regretfully. “But I’ve already promised Xiang Hao Ting that we’d be having dinner tonight to celebrate his high marks in our most recent math test.”

“And I, with my Zi Xuan.” Yu Hao added. “We haven’t seen each other for quite a while since he’s been busy at university.”

Ah. How stupid of Tang Yi was it to think that these high schoolers wouldn’t have plans for the night? Of course, they’d have their respective dates. Part of him felt slightly jealous with them because his own fiancé has actually abandoned him in favor of work.

“Well, we can all go together.” Tang Yi insisted. “Tell them to come with us. It’s my treat.”

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

“I thought we were going to have a date.” Hao Ting stage-whispered to Xi Gu with a childish pout. “Alone.”

“Shh.” Xi Gu shushed him, looking discreetly at Tang Yi who was busy perusing the menu. “This is actually a treat from Mr. Tang. You should be grateful.”

“But I was really looking forward to my _dessert_.” Hao Ting had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Yu Xi Gu could only let out an exasperated breath at that. “You scored higher in the exam than last time, but it wasn’t really that high. Why should you have _dessert_?”

“B-but I’m getting there!” Hao Ting complained. “Shouldn’t you be rewarding progress so you could further motivate me? Without _dessert_, I would think that you’re not appreciating my efforts.”

“I do appreciate you, Hao Ting.” Xi Gu countered, trying to appease his now sulking boyfriend. “It’s just that… I really couldn’t say no to my employer, can I? Besides…”

“Besides what?” Hao Ting tilted his head curiously at Xi Gu.

“Who said that you couldn’t get that _dessert_ after this dinner?” Xi Gu delivered with a straight face, decidedly not looking at the direction of Hao Ting. Otherwise, he’d blush to no end with embarrassment.

Anyway, he could still see the wide grin on Hao Ting’s face from his peripheral vision.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” The voice of Zi Xuan coming in to their table diverted Xi Gu’s attention from Hao Ting who was now suggesting taking that _dessert_ right about now.

“Zi Xuan!” Yu Hao’s delight at seeing his lover was easy to see, but just as visible was the concern that replaced his smile when he noticed that the university student was having a hard time walking toward them. As if on autopilot, he stood up and was at his boyfriend’s side in a matter of seconds. “What’s wrong? Is your leg hurting again?”

“It’s fine…” Zi Xuan said, trying to calm down the worried Xia Yu Hao. “It’s just cramping up a little bit.”

“Idiot. You should have told me sooner.” Yu Hao scolded him lightly. “I should have just picked you up from the university.”

“That would take too much time, Yu Hao.” Zi Xuan reasoned, and then, looking at Mr. Tang, he said, “We wouldn’t want to keep Sir Tang waiting.”

“It’s fine. I would have understood.” Tang Yi said. What is up with these guys and why do they all think that he’s impatient and intimidating and evil and all that? “You look bad though, what happened?”

“As I said, Sir. Just cramping up.” Zi Xuan reiterated as he finally got to sit at their table right beside Yu Hao. “There was an elderly woman on the train, and I just had to give up my seat. It was only supposed to be a quick ride anyway, but I guess my knee just acted up so…”

“What’s wrong with your knee?” Tang Yi asked, his curiosity piqued.

“He got injured while playing varsity volleyball in high school.” Yu Hao offered the information.

“In high school?” Tang Yi wondered. “Aren’t you nearing the end of your first year in the university? Shouldn’t the injury be healed by now?”

Zi Xuan shook his head, smiling sadly. “Unfortunately, this is as good as it is ever going to get.”

Tang Yi eyed him critically for a moment. “What could that injury possibly be that it leaves a permanent effect on your mobility?”

“It’s a very bad ligament tear.” Zi Xuan responded. “The family doctor did the best he could.”

Tang Yi nodded. “I see.” He said. “Have you ever had any other doctor assess the injury?”

“Err… no.” Zi Xuan replied truthfully. “The doctor has been working with our family for more than two decades now. We all trust him completely and have never entertained the idea of getting the opinion of another specialist.”

“Oh, would you mind if I ask my doctor friend to have a look at your injury?” Tang Yi inquired again, although in a deeper recess in his mind, he was wondering when did he feel like it was his responsibility to take care of even the respective boyfriends of his employees. His impossibly caring fiancé’s tendencies must be really rubbing off on him. Damn it.

“Your doctor friend?” Hao Ting chimed in. “That wouldn’t be Dr. Jiang, is it? The one who treated me after I beat up those thugs at the bar?”

“That would be him, yes.” Tang Yi responded. “Although, I believe it was you who got beat up and not the other way around.”

“Hey!” Hao Ting spluttered at the insult – although it was actually true, much to Xi Gu’s amusement who then proceeded to hug his boyfriend to appease him.

“So, how about it?” Tang Yi turned his attention back to Zi Xuan, who he belatedly noticed was now in deep conversation with Yu Hao.

“This could be it. You might be able to play again.” Yu Hao was whispering to Zi Xuan excitedly. “You’ll get into the university varsity team for sure!”

“Yu Hao…” Zi Xuan sighed in frustration. “But what if it’s just going to be the same news as before? That this isn’t recoverable? Then, we would have gotten our hopes up for nothing.”

“But wouldn’t you rather have that than never finding out whether you actually have a shot at playing the sport we love again?” Yu Hao asked, and everyone in the table had to agree he made a great point. Everyone except Zi Xuan himself that was.

“I-if there’s a chance…” Zi Xuan was still hesitating. “Then for sure, the treatment would be surgery. And that would be too costly. I’m in university now, and I have to know what I should prioritize on especially in terms of expensive.”

“I’ll cover any costs that you’ll incur for this now-only-hypothetical surgery.” Tang Yi butted in. _Gods. Kids these days are so melodramatic. He wasn’t like this with Shao Fei, right?_

“Mr. Tang, I couldn’t possibly ask that of you!” Zi Xuan denied his offer, just as expected.

Tang Yi sighed. Really, how the hell did he end up here?

He could only blame Shao Fei.

“Think about it before you say no, okay?” Tang Yi suggested. “Now why don’t we order our food, and have a nice long chat over dinner? Didn’t we set this up to celebrate the hard work of Xi Gu and Yu Hao, as well as Hao Ting’s high scores? Let’s not dwell over other things for now.”

Everyone seemed to agree with his suggestion.

The rest of the night was spent talking about trivial yet happy things. If Zi Xuan was mulling over the offer in his mind the entire time, no one actually needed to know but himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how as it?
> 
> I hope you had fun reading it! I was also planning on finally introducing Jack in this chapter, but it sort of didn't materialize! Hopefully, I can manage to integrate him to the story already when I aim for a chapter 4!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zi Xuan accepts the offer for the knee surgery and Dr. Jiang willingly does it for him. Little does the doctor know that there is a more challenging operation coming for him that same day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending of MODC fucked me up real bad. It's part of the reason why I had a hard time writing this past two weeks, not to mention the several Christmas parties I had to attend. It's been a busy roller coaster past few week so I apologize for updating this rather late.
> 
> I wasn't expecting this story to take this direction, but well, MODC happened and I just had to include a sort of fix-it fic in this because I just want my heart to heal.
> 
> This is unbeta'ed so again, apologies in advance for any mistakes and inconsistencies with the story line.
> 
> Thank you.

It has only been two hours but it felt like forever to Xia Yu Hao. The red light above the operating room door remained turned on and no one has even bothered to go from within to give him an update on Zi Xuan’s condition.

He hated it. He hated that he couldn’t simply barge in and demand for answers from the doctors, and that all he could do was pace around the waiting area helplessly.

It was only a knee surgery, and based on his research as well as what Doctor Jiang has promised, it shouldn’t have taken more than an hour and a half. So, why has Zi Xuan not been brought out yet? 

“You’re going to dig a hole if you don’t stop walking around like that.” Tang Yi’s voice broke through Xia Yu Hao’s preoccupied mind and he immediately stopped journey of his feet. He turned around to look at the older man who has just arrived.

“Sir Tang!” Yu Hao exclaimed, “You’re here.”

“I told you I’ll be checking up on Zi Xuan, right?” Tang Yi reminded him as he sat down on one of the benches, beckoning the younger Yu Hao to sit beside him. “Besides, I was the one who offered for Zi Xuan to take this surgery after all. It’d be a shame if I don’t get to see your volleyball ace boyfriend get back on top form.”

“Yeah…” Yu Hao nodded in agreement as he took the proffered seat. “About that… thank you, Mr. Tang. You really are a kind soul. We don’t know what we did to deserve your generosity.”

“Stop flattering me or this will be the last you’ll see of me.” Tang Yi blushed at the compliment. He has never received this kind of genuine praise when he was a gang boss, so he wasn’t used to it just yet. “Where are Xi Gu and Hao Ting? Didn’t they say they’ll accompany you today?”

“Oh, they had a change of plans.” Yu Hao replied. “Hao Ting’s parents wanted to take a look at their newly rented apartment today, so he and Xi Gu had to prepare some meals for them. They’ll try to get back as soon as possible, but the surgery will probably be done by then.”

“Ah… I’m sure Hao Ting’s parents are going to like that apartment.” Tang Yi nodded, a pleased smile appearing on his face. “Hao Ting picked a rather expensive place to live in with Xi Gu. He even had to beg me for ten thousand dollars to pay for the rent in exchange for some side work.”

“He did what?” Yu Hao asked again, managing to put out the words in between bouts of laughter. “Xi Gu’s going to be so pissed once he finds out.”

“Which is why you should never say a word about this to anyone.” If looks could kill, the seriousness in Tang Yi’s eyes could have skewered Yu Hao ten times over. “That boy deserves all the happiness that he could get in this world, don’t you agree?”

Yu Hao could only nod in agreement as a response.

And it was at that moment that the doors to the operating room burst open to reveal an exhausted Dr. Jiang.

“Dr. Jiang!” Yu Hao stood up from where he was sitting so quickly. “How is he? Did the surgery go well? Can he play volleyball again? Is he awake?”

“Hello to you too.” Dr. Jiang lethargically responded. It may not have been one of his most difficult surgeries, but it still did drain most of what energy he still had left after a long night shift at the hospital. He couldn’t very well process all the questions being thrown at him.

“Take it easy, Yu Hao.” Tang Yi’s placating voice was music to Dr. Jiang’s ears. “He’ll explain everything to us. Just be patient.”

“Thank you, Tang Yi.” Dr. Jiang bowed to his direction. “The surgery went splendidly, but the patient’s still unconscious due to the anesthesia. He’s now being taken to Ward 204 and should be able to take in visitors in about 15 minutes from now.”

“Will he be able to play again?” Yu Hao insisted. It was, after all, the sole reason why Zi Xuan even agreed to have yet another doctor look at his torn knee ligament. “Come on, Dr. Jiang. You have to tell me.”

“It’s not that easy, Mr. Xia.” Dr. Jiang responded with a sigh. “He will still have to go through months of continuous therapy if he wants to really get on that court again.”

“He can do that.” Yu Hao nodded enthusiastically, the assurance that his boyfriend will get to play volleyball again was bringing him unbridled joy. “Zi Xuan’s a very determined person. When he puts his mind to something, he can achieve it.”

“That’s good then.” Dr. Jiang replied dismissively. “I’m sorry, but I’m really tired right now. Can I just take a bit of a breather? He said to no one in particular before sitting down on the bench on the other side of Tang Yi.

“Would you like some coffee?” Tang Yi asked.

Dr. Jiang could scrunch up his nose. “The one from vending machine? Gods, no. Those are horrible.”

“Of course not, silly.” Tang Yi laughed at him. “From the coffee shop right across the hospital. I heard they offer delicious white chocolate mocha.””

Dr. Jiang perked up at that. “The great Tang Yi is offering to buy me a cup of coffee from down the street? Is this the real life?”

“You just did me a significant favor, taking on the operation for Yu Hao’s boyfriend.” Tang Yi motioned to stand up. “It’s the least that I could do as a sign of my gratitude.”

“What? I’ll only get a cup of coffee?” Dr. Jiang whined. “I never took you for a cheapskate, Tang Yi. I want a flight to Mali.”

“Try your luck next time, Jiang.” Tang Yi smirked at him. He turned around and was about to make his way to the elevator when his phone rang from his pocket.

He took it out and was surprised to see Hao Ting’s name on the screen. Curious, he answered the call.

“Hello?” He greeted tentatively.

_“Mr. Tang?!”_ The voice on the other end of the line was hysterical. Tang Yi did not like the sound of it. _“Mr. Tang?!”_

“Yes, this is Tang Yi.” He replied when Hao Ting wouldn’t say anything else other than his name. “What’s the matter, Hao Ting?”

_“I-it’s Xi Gu. H-he’s been run over by a car.”_ Hao Ting’s voice was quivering. _“H-he’s bleeding so much. I-it’s very bad. Oh god.”_

“Calm down, Hao Ting.” Tang Yi tried his best not to let his own panic show in his voice. He’s been in plenty of situations like this before, with a loved one getting significantly hurt. He should be used to it by now, but each incident would always feel like a first time, and his heart started pounding rapidly with worry. “Have you called an ambulance?”

_“Y-yes. T-they’re here. They’re putting him on the gurney.”_ Hao Ting replied. _“Mr. Tang… please help. I don’t know what to do.”_

“Alright. Don’t panic. Tell whoever’s driving the ambulance to take him here at Dr. Jiang’s hospital instead.” Tang Yi knew that was what Hao Ting really wanted to say. He wouldn’t have called Tang Yi in this situation otherwise. “I’ll have a team prepared to receive you and I’ll request Dr. Jiang to take charge.” He promised as he began walking back to the waiting area where he earlier left the doctor with Yu Hao.

“Back so soon, Tang Yi?” Dr. Jiang noted upon seeing him. “And no coffee cup, I see? What, already changed your mind?”

Tang Yi didn’t bother responding to the jibe. “Don’t hang up, Hao Ting. Let me know what’s happening, okay?”

_“Okay.”_

“Mr. Tang?” Yu Hao called to him. “Is something the matter?”

Tang Yi glanced at him and then at Dr. Jiang. “Yu Xi Gu’s been in an accident. I need your help.”

“Crap.” Dr. Jiang wanted to curse at Tang Yi. He’s so drained at this point already, but how can he say no? “Alright. What happened?”

“Can you help me describe what exactly happened, Hao Ting?” Tang Yi requested on the phone. “I’ll put you on speaker mode.”

_“O-okay.”_ Hao Ting agreed, the blaring sounds of the siren audible in the background. _“H-he got into a car crash. He’s bleeding everywhere. The head… oh gods. His breathing is erratic – oh gods they’re doing that voltage thing to his chest. I-it’s bad isn’t it? He’s not going to make it.”_

“Hao Ting, calm down.” Tang Yi’s voice was firm, hoping against hope that it will have the intended effect on Hao Ting. “Everything will be fine. We’re going to save Xi Gu. Where are you now?”

_“I-I don’t know. Damn it!”_ Hao Ting’s anguish was palpable even through the mobile device. They couldn’t see him, but they could tell that there were tears running down his face. _“Dr. Jiang, you’ve got to save him, please. I don’t know what I’m going to do without him. I can’t lose him.”_

“I’ll do everything in my power.” Dr. Jiang promised. He stood up and left the room, shouting orders to his colleagues and the nurses at the station.

It seemed like forever but the ambulance eventually made its way to the emergency station of Dr. Jiang’s hospital. It was all a flurry of movement from then on with the doctors shouting, nurses running, and Hao Ting crying and trying to throw things around in his frustration.

Yu Hao had gone to check up on his boyfriend so it was solely up to Tang Yi now to take care of Hao Ting.

“You have to get a hold of yourself, Hao Ting.” Tang Yi tried to tell him. “You need to keep a cool head on you in moments like this. Otherwise, you would be of no help to Xi Gu.”

“I should have been the one to go back to the grocery store.” Hao Ting said, not showing any signs that he has heard what Tang Yi asked him to do. “He doesn’t deserve any of this. Damn it. It should have been me.”

“Don’t say that. This is not your fault.” Tang Yi scolded. “This should have happened to neither of you.”

“I feel so helpless, Mr. Tang.” Hao Ting finally looked at him. “So many times, I’ve promised him that I’ll protect him. But it seemed like whenever he needed me, I just couldn’t be there for him.”

“You did well in bringing him here.” Tang Yi reminded him.

“But…”

“You did the best you could.” Tang Yi cut him off. “And I know that for someone like Yu Xi Gu, that would be enough.”

“Hao Ting?” Both of them had to turn around to see who was calling him – his mother alongside his father and sister.

“Mom…” At the sight of his family, it seemed like the dam behind his eyes broke loose again and all the tears came crashing down. “H-he’s in a delicate state, mom.”

“Oh, my dear son.” Hao Ting’s mom enveloped him in a tight hug. “Everything’s going to be okay. He’s going to be fine.”

“I just don’t know what to do…” Hao Ting just let himself cry, allowing all the pent-up emotion out of his system. “When I saw him lying there on the ground unconscious, it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Hush now. Don’t think about that anymore.” His mom advised. “Just pray, okay? Pray for his strength and for his healing, okay? That’s the only thing that we should focus on at the moment. Do it for him.”

Feeling like he was intruding an intimate family moment, Tang Yi stepped out of the waiting room once more and went to the rooftop to get some fresh air.

He had to tell Shao Fei what happened, too.

He took out his phone and was about to dial his fiancé’s number when it rang on its own, flashing an unidentified number on the screen.

“Hello?” He picked up immediately.

_“Tang Yi.”_ The voice was tinny, definitely altered so as not to be identified. _“How’d you like my little surprise?”_

“Who is this?” Tang Yi ventured to ask, his brows knitting in confusion.

_“Oh… can’t remember me now?”_ The man on the other end of the line was mocking him. _“Your time in prison must have given you amnesia.”_

“What are you playing at?” Tang Yi had no time for games today. It has been exhausting enough as it was.

_“Oh, I’m not playing. I want justice to be served.”_ The voice was definitely sinister, but Tang Yi still couldn’t put his finger on who it was. _“That car crash is just the beginning. Everything and everyone you hold dear will suffer because of you.”_

Tang Yi’s blood ran cold. So, it wasn’t a mere accident. “Whoever you are, I’m going to find you and I’m going to make you pay. I won’t let you hurt any more people.”

_“Is it me who’s hurting them? Or is it their relation to you?”_

“You’ve been warned.” Tang Yi said, ignoring the last taunt before he ended the call.

He looked up his contact list, and instead of calling Shao Fei as he originally intended, he rang up Jack.

_“Yes, ex-boss?”_ Jack picked up at the second ring. _“To what do I owe the pleasure?”_

“I’d like you to look something up for me…” Tang Yi began.

_“Ah, but it would depend on Zhao Zi whether I accept a request from you or not, ex-boss.”_ Jack informed him, as if he didn’t know.

“I am well aware, yes.” Tang Yi agreed. “But this concerns Yu Xi Gu, the orphaned young boy Zhao Zi and Shao Fei asked me to take under my wing.”

_“That wouldn’t take much convincing from Zhao Zi, then.”_ Jack inferred. _“What do you want me to do?”_

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

It was night time when Shao Fei arrived at the hospital. He had wanted to go right away as soon as he got the call from Tang Yi, but he chose instead to investigate the scene of the incident first so that he could help track who was behind all this.

The sight that greeted him upon reaching the waiting area made his heart clench painfully. It was solemnly quiet, everyone lost in a kind of daze – simply waiting for news to come from within the operating room.

Hao Ting was there lying down on his mother’s lap, probably due to exhaustion. Yu Hao and Zi Xuan were at another corner, with the latter sporting a solid cast on his newly operated leg.

_At least one operation has been successful today thus far._ Shao Fei thought. _May the next one be just as successful, please._

There were a few more faces that he wasn’t familiar with who were waiting at another corner. There was what seemed to be like twins, a guy with a buzz cut, a man who was about his age, and a few more young ones. He could only assume that these were Yu Xi Gu’s friends.

His own Tang Yi was standing quietly to one side, seemingly deep in thought.

He walked up to him.

“How are things doing here?” He asked after giving the other man a quick peck on the lips as a way of greeting.

“Just about the same as the last time you called to check up on us.” Tang Yi replied. “Dr. Jiang hasn’t gone out for the past eight hours.”

“The quack’s doing the best he can.” He may like to tease the man, but Shao Fei knew that the doctor did have mad skills when it came to stitching people up. “Xi Gu’s going to be all right.”

“I hope you’re right. I’d hate it if he ends up as collateral damage for someone who’s trying to exact vengeance on me.” Tang Yi spitted out. He hated that he was the root of all this. “He has so much more to live for.”

“Tang Yi, this is not your fault.” Shao Fei placed a hand on his fiancé’s cheek, to which the other leaned into. “Don’t blame yourself for this.”

The irony was not lost on Tang Yi. He said those exact words to Hao Ting just earlier.

“How is he?” Shao Fei asked, looking at Hao Ting. “He must have been horrified.”

“He cried himself to sleep.” Tang Yi shared. “No matter how seemingly big he is, he’s still a child. They both are, him and Xi Gu. They shouldn’t be suffering from this. I’m going to make sure whoever is behind this will never see the light of day again.”

“Tang Yi.” Shao Fei had a warning tone.

“Don’t tell me off about this, Shao Fei.” Tang Yi said. “You know how much these boys mean to us.”

“I know.” Shao Fei nodded in agreement. “That’s why we’re going to find that man, together.”

They stared at each for a moment, communicating without actually speaking. They knew that this mattered to both of them, and that they could never tell the other off of it, in the guise of keeping each other safe. They’d face it together.

The intensity of their moment, however, was broken when Dr. Jiang decided to make an appearance from the operating room.

Everyone suddenly jolted up at the sight of him. Hao Ting, who had been sleeping fitfully, was even the first one to approach the now obviously ragged doctor.

“Dr. Jiang! How is he?” Hao Ting demanded, taking in the bloodied gown the doctor was wearing. It didn’t help ease his worries.

“He’s unconscious, but he’s in a stable condition now.” Dr. Jiang reported, and everyone in the room let out a collective sigh of relief. “We’ll have to keep him under close supervision in the ICU for now. That means he can’t have visitors just yet. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Hao Ting collapsed at Dr. Jiang’s feet, the heavy burden he’d been carrying the entire day finally getting lifted off. “Thank you so much, Dr. Jiang. I would forever be in your debt. You saved my Xi Gu.”

Tang Yi then approached them both.

“Thank you, Dr. Jiang.” He said, placing a hand on the tired doctor’s shoulder. “You’ve done a really great job today. I, too, am really indebted to you.”

Dr. Jiang beamed at him, which did nothing to hide the fatigue he was feeling. “Now, about that ticket to Mali…”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tang Yi helps Hao Ting go through the pain of seeing his loved one battle for his life in the hospital bed. The mystery about the culprit unravels itself with the help of our local favorite henchman, Jack. And we see the Zen Ren boys united once again for the love of their friend Xi Gu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Trigger Warning] I realize that people may still be hurting with the MODC ending, so if it's still a sore spot for you, I suggest you don't read this just yet. For the record, he's not going to die, but there may be graphic descriptions of injuries sustained that might induce some horrible pain to those who are already suffering from canon. Sorry in advance for those who wish to continue. :)
> 
> I have no idea how this fic turned from sappy fluff with slight action to angsty with heavy action, but I guess I'd blame it on the MODC ending.
> 
> Tang Yi is such a dad, I didn't know.
> 
> Unbeta'ed so please excuse all the errors and inconsistencies. :) Actually, do call me out on errors, so I can correct them asap please.
> 
> Thank you, as usual, for reading! :D

Xiang Hao Ting sat by Yu Xi Gu’s bedside, keeping vigil and completely refusing anyone who offered to take his place so that he could go home and get some rest.

He feared that the moment his eyes strayed away from him just once, his beloved would decide to leave him alone. And that was just the unfathomable, wasn’t it? He simply didn’t know how he would go on in a world without Yu Xi Gu in it.

They have so many dreams that they have yet to achieve together.

“You asked me once never to leave you.” Hao Ting whispered solemnly into Xi Gu’s ear. His voice was rough with disuse. “I wish for you to do the same. Don’t leave me. Not now. Not ever.”

He wiped a stray tear from his eye.

“Didn’t we say that we’d be brave together?” Hao Ting reminded, holding Xi Gu’s limp hand and not letting go. He looked so fragile, lying there motionless. “I’m trying my best to be brave right now. So please, be brave too. We can get through this. Please wake up. For me. For us.”

He waited. The heart monitor’s beeping remained constant, the only sound disturbing the silence of the room. Xi Gu went on with his slumber.

“I’ll stay here, right by your side.” Hao Ting told him. “Just as you wished. I’m here if you need me.”

And stay he did, right by Xi Gu’s side, even after the clock has struck midnight.

But as much as he has wanted to keep watch through the night, he was still human, and exhaustion from the day’s events was creeping in on him once more.

He battled the drowsiness away from his eyes, squeezing Xi Gu’s hand from time to time to let the other know that he was still there despite the silence that enveloped them.

He must have still fallen asleep at some point because the next moment he opened his eyes, sunlight was already peeking through the tiny slits left uncovered by the window blinds.

He stood abruptly and checked on Yu Xi Gu at once, fearing that some ungodly thing may have occurred in the time that he was asleep. He breathed a sigh of relief when everything was still as it should be – well, almost. Yu Xi Gu still hasn’t woken up.

“Rough night?” Tang Yi’s voice made Hao Ting jump in surprise. He turned around to locate where the older man was, and found him sitting primly in the couch at the far end of the room.

“You could say that…” Hao Ting responded, before taking yet another glance at the sleeping form of his beloved. His heart simply couldn’t help clenching at this sight. “Not as bad as he’s having though.”

Tang Yi stood up and moved closer to the bed. He’d entered the room about an hour ago with the intention of checking up on Xi Gu and Hao Ting, but upon seeing them sleeping next to each other with Hao Ting holding Xi Gu’s hand firmly in his own, he simply didn’t have the heart to disturb them.

“I’ve talked to Dr. Jiang.” Tang Yi shared as he studied the face of Yu Xi Gu. His head was heavily bandaged, and there were plenty of cuts and bruises that mar his cheeks and forehead. No doubt the rest of his body had the same. Looking at him gave him flashbacks of when his own Shao Fei was the one who laid there battling for his life. “Quite a number of broken ribs on him but his spine was miraculously left unscathed by the accident. He’ll make a full recovery.”

“Yeah, he’s told me as much.” Hao Ting nodded. “But all that is dependent on whether he would actually wake up sooner rather than later.”

“Xi Gu does have a strong resolve. He’s fought his way his entire life.” Tang Yi noted, much like his police officer fiancé. He couldn’t help himself from showing a fond smile. “Knowing him, he’ll be waking up and getting better in no time.”

“I know he will. I trust him.” Hao Ting stated firmly. Tang Yi detected no doubt. “He’s going to be okay.”

“And how about you?” Tang Yi inquired.

“Hm?’

“Are you going to be okay?” He clarified, and Hao Ting had to look away.

“I don’t know…” The younger man whispered, afraid that Xi Gu might still hear him despite the unconsciousness. “The image of him lying in my arms, broken, bleeding, and barely breathing – it’s too much. You have no idea.”

Tang Yi had to bite his tongue at that. Of course, he did have an idea. He held a dying Shao Fei in his arms too. And he was the one who fired the shot that harmed him. But this was not his moment, so he held those thoughts to himself.

“It’s left imprinted on my mind, Mr. Tang.” Hao Ting continued, unaware of the internal debacle his companion was also having. “I try to think of other things but it always goes back to that moment. I keep asking myself why it had to happen, and to him of all people. He’s gone through so much already, so why can’t the universe give him a break?”

“We cannot dictate what the fates would serve us, Hao Ting.” Tang Yi shook his head. He agreed completely with what the other has said – that the universe is unfair. But such was the way of the world and nothing could be done to change it. “The only thing left for us to do is be grateful for what’s positive and work from there. You still have him, so it’s up to you if you would continue to live in that moment, or if you’ll move forward together.”

“Mr. Tang…”

“My Shao Fei has been hurt far too many times than I would have wanted.” Tang Yi pushed on. He hadn’t wanted to share this part of him, but he hoped that this would help Hao Ting understand his point. “It’s only natural, what with his line of work as a police officer, but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t traumatize me whenever I find out about him being admitted here for taking yet another b-bullet intended for someone else.”

He hated that he hesitated at the word bullet. He supposed that the guilt resting within him was still just as prevalent now as it was then.

“If I were the type of person who lived in the past rather than the type who looked into the future, I would have asked Shao Fei to quit his job and look for one that was less dangerous.” Tang Yi shared. “I admit, I was like that before. But Shao Fei showed me what it’s like to just simply let the baggage of the past go. I’m still working on it, but slowly, I’m unpacking, and it’s the lightest I’ve ever felt in my life.”

“So… you’re saying that I should just let it go?” Hao Ting asked.

Tang Yi nodded in response. Part of why he wanted Hao Ting to move on from the incident was the fact that it wasn’t just a simple accident. It was intentional and it was done by someone who had a score to settle with him. He didn’t want to involve the teenager into this mess any further.

“What you’re asking of me isn’t so easy, Mr. Tang.” Hao Ting could only shake his head in disbelief. “It’s not like I could let go of something potentially life altering in just a snap of a finger.”

“I’m not asking you to do it fast. What’s important is that whenever you find your thoughts straying toward that direction, don’t dwell on it.” Tang Yi advised. “You can give yourself time to heal.”

Hao Ting stared at him intently, weighing in his words. Eventually, he nodded saying, “Alright. Thank you, Mr. Tang. For everything.”

“It’s no problem.” Tang Yi waved off. “He’s like a son to me now. I care too much for him, and you as well.”

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and whoever was on the other side didn’t actually wait for his invitation to come in. He simply barged in as if he owned the place.

“Jack.” Tang Yi greeted plainly. The other man’s appearance now could only mean that he has gotten information on who the possible culprit was.

“Ex-boss.” Jack returned to him with a smile, before he looked around and noted the presence of the worn-out looking Xiang Hao Ting. “You must be Hao Ting. I’m Jack. Tang Yi used to be my boss. Nice to meet you.”

“Uh, it was nice to meet you too.” Hao Ting replied perfunctorily.

“I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to borrow ex-boss for a while.” Jack told him. “I’m afraid we have some urgent matters to discuss.”

“O-okay.” Hao Ting answered, though he shouldn’t have bothered because the other pair has already left by the time he opened his mouth to respond.

He turned back to Yu Xi Gu. “You heard him. We move forward together, okay? No matter what.”

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

“What is it?” Tang Yi went straight to the point when they reached the fire exit, and he was certain no one else was there to eavesdrop. “Did you find anything?”

“The plate of the car was obviously fake.” Jack, to his credit, responded without blinking an eye. “They fabricated a plate which actually belonged to an innocent thirty-something university professor. I checked his profile and he didn’t have any connections at all with any member of the brotherhood.”

“None of that information will actually help me track down the bastard who caused this.” Tang Yi responded, patience a little bit thin.

Jack gave him his signature foxlike smile. “You haven’t changed a bit, Mr. Tang. Still no patience.”

“You know it.” Tang Yi agreed. “Now, tell me more.”

“The professor was a client of your suit shop though.” Jack continued his story, not concerned one bit about Tang Yi’s temper. “And he rarely used his car. In fact, he only used it when he visited the suit store in preparation for his wedding. He would park it at a nearby lot and from there, he would walk all the way to the store with his daughter, and his then fiancé, now husband.”

“Get to the point, Jack.”

“That little time spent going to and from the suit shop, not to mention the additional time doing actual business at the store, was enough for our suspect to duplicate his plate.” Jack went on. “So, I checked the security cameras in the area but they were all suspiciously damaged. Our culprit seemed to think he was smart doing that, but I bet he didn’t count on the dashcams of the other cars parked in the area capturing his devious ways.”

“And you got a hold on dashcam footage showing us who it was?”

“It wasn’t easy matching the family’s visit logs in the store to whichever cars were parked in the lot on the same dates.” Jack shared. “But I managed to narrow it down to eight people who have gone to the vehicle close enough to raise suspicion.”

“And?”

“And I’ve further narrowed it down to just the one.” Jack smiled winningly. “Only one had ties with Xin Tian Meng, and more importantly, to He Hang.”

“But He Hang is in prison.” Tang Yi noted matter-of-factly.

“It’s his blood-brother who’s doing the dirty job for him.” Jack informed Tang Yi. “I can’t confirm whether he’s the one who drove the car that did this to the young man in the ward, but I guess you have your means to get that out of him.”

“Leave that to me.” Tang Yi nodded. “Do you have his location?”

“Man’s been on the run from the authorities recently. Got sued for causing trouble at a small diner downtown.” Jack shared. “He’s been hostel hopping since then. It’s not going to be easy pinpointing where he’d be next.”

“Does he not visit his brother in prison?” Tang Yi inquired.

“He did, but not in the past few weeks.” Jack replied. “As I said, he’s become a wanted man himself, so it would be suicide for him to pay He Hang a visit.”

“But their communication didn’t stop then.” Tang Yi deduced. “They must have been able to slip in a mobile device in the facility for He Hang to contact the outside world.” He’s been there before. He knew how easily people could have bypassed the security measures put in place.

“Which explains how he was able to call you.” Jack added. 

“Right.” Tang Yi nodded. “We’ll use He Hang to lure his brother in. I’ll let Shao Fei and his team handle securing the phone He Hang used as evidence.”

“Shao Fei?” Jack, for the first time, seemed to be surprised at the turn of this conversation. “He’s involved in this now?”

“Yu Xi Gu means a lot to him, too.” Tang Yi shared. “We promised to resolve this together.”

“Didn’t think you’d let your husband be involved in anything dangerous anymore.” Jack smirked at him.

“That would be tantamount to taking away Shao Fei’s identity.” Tang Yi surprised even himself when he let out a soft chuckle at that. Blame it on Shao Fei for making him soft like this. “He’s a police officer and it’s part of the job description. I get worried, of course. It will always be there. But I’ve got to respect his profession like the way he respected my past.”

“Wow, you sure have changed a lot, ex-boss.” Jack could only shake his head in mock disbelief. “I guess time in prison really does convert people.”

“Don’t push it, Jack.” Tang Yi warned lightly. “But seriously, thank you. Now we can get to the bottom of this mess.”

“No problem, ex-boss!” Jack gave him a salute before sauntering out of Tang Yi’s view, hand perpetually playing with his butterfly knife. “Happy to be of service.”

When Tang Yi got back to the ward, he realized that there were more people now than when he left. It wasn’t that difficult to notice considering that it was only Hao Ting there when he stepped out. Now it seemed like the entire circus of Zen Ren High was there, along with Yu Hao and Zi Xuan. He’s not quite sure whether this much people was actually allowed inside a hospital room, especially of a patient who hasn’t woken up yet.

“How are you feeling?” Tang Yi chose to address Zi Xuan first. He was sat by Yu Hao’s side at the couch that was on the other end of the room to the bed. With all the things that happened the previous day, he hadn’t had the time to ask Zi Xuan how he was after his own knee surgery.

“I think I’m okay.” Zi Xuan responded. “Though I’ll really only know once I start with the therapy, right? Either way, thank you so much, Mr. Tang. You’ve been a true blessing to all of us here.”

“All the thanks should go to Dr. Jiang.” Tang Yi deflected. He was truly not used to receiving genuine praise like this. “He’s the one who made all these miracles happen.”

“Oh right!” Yu Hao joined in on the conversation. “Where is Dr. Jiang?”

“He should be home by now, resting.” Tang Yi shared with them. “I saw him this morning, saying he didn’t want to go home just yet, to make sure everything is in order with Xi Gu. I had to put my foot down and tell him to go home. Xi Gu’s out of critical condition now, and the other doctors would be more than capable of monitoring his progress.”

“Wow, and you managed to convince him?” Zi Xuan asked.

“He wouldn’t get his ticket to Mali otherwise.” Tang Yi winked at them knowingly.

“Why did he want to go to Mali anyway?” Yu Hao was admittedly curious. “What could be so special there?”

“His boyfriend.” Tang Yi simply stated.

“Oh.” The two boys said in unison.

“Well, I’ll leave you two for a bit. Let me go check up on Xi Gu for a bit.” He stated to excuse himself.

When he reached the bedside, he took in the faces of the young Zen Ren boys who decided to pay Xi Gu a visit today. They were all familiar, faces he’d already seen the day previous.

“Mr. Tang, thank you very much for all your efforts in taking care of our friend.” One of the twins was the first to address him.

“But we think we shouldn’t abuse your generosity any further.” The other twin, the one with the mole on his cheek added. “If you don’t mind, we’d like to help shoulder the expenses for his treatment.”

“I know you’d think that we’re just high school students with no stable source of income, but we’ve thought about this.” Another friend added. Seriously, it seemed like they’ve rehearsed this.

“You’d be surprised with how crafty when it comes to earning money.” The guy with the bald cut said.

“Well, what do you guys have in mind?” Tang Yi decided to indulge them. They looked so earnest after all.

“Guys, honestly you don’t have to do this.” Hao Ting was surprisingly the one to try to discourage them.

“We actually do, A-Hao.” Twin with a mole answered.

“Xia En’s right.” The other twin placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “There are a lot of people who actually care for Yu Xi Gu. In fact, the fundraiser that we had in mind will prove to you just how well-loved he actually is.”

“We’ve organized a volleyball exhibition match between Zen Ren and Yu Hao’s school the day after tomorrow.” The bald guy added. “And guess what, the ticket sales for the match have already been sold out minutes after we put it up for sale.”

“We even got the approval of the administration of both schools.” The other friend mentioned. “All for the love of Yu Xi Gu.”

“Sun Bo Xiang… Xia En… Xia De… Gao Chun…” Hao Ting could only say their names, his eyes welling up with tears once more. “You don’t know how much this would mean to him… realizing how much he is loved and cared for. Thank you.”

“Oh, come on, A-Hao.” The bald guy – Bo Xiang – whined. “Isn’t this what brothers are for? We’ll always be here to help you out.”

“Brothers!” Hao Ting said, extending his arm out with his hand closed in a fist but with the thumb sticking up.

“Brothers!” Bo Xiang followed suit, putting wrapping his hand around Hao Ting’s thumb while raising his own.

“Brothers!” The others continued until they’ve all had a tall stack of fists and thumbs.

It was an amusing and heart-warming scene, if you were to ask Tang Yi, like a more innocent version of his Xin Tian Meng.

Yu Xi Gu is in really good hands with these guys.

Tang Yi couldn't contain the smile that was forming on his lips.


End file.
